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Lahore: England pacer Jofra Archer etched his name in the record books during the England vs Afghanistan match at the Gaddafi Stadium in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With a fiery opening spell, Archer dismantled Afghanistan's top order and became the fastest England bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets, surpassing James Anderson's record.
Archer reached the milestone when he dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, providing England with the breakthrough they needed in this must-win encounter. His raw pace and accuracy proved too much for the Afghan batters, as he picked up three crucial wickets with the new ball.
Fastest England Bowlers to 50 ODI Wickets
Jofra Archer – 30 Matches (New Record Holder)
James Anderson – 31 Matches
Steve Harmison – 32 Matches
Steven Finn – 33 Matches
Darren Gough – 34 Matches
Archer’s achievement makes him England’s fastest pacer in ODI history, reaffirming his status as one of the most lethal white-ball bowlers in the world.
Fastest International Bowlers to 50 ODI Wickets
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 19 Matches (World Record Holder)
Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) – 22 Matches
Ajit Agarkar (India) – 23 Matches
Mitchell McClenaghan (New Zealand) – 23 Matches
Dennis Lillee (Australia) – 24 Matches
While Archer’s 30-match feat is remarkable, the record for fastest to 50 wickets in ODI history still belongs to Ajantha Mendis, who achieved it in just 19 games.
England vs Afghanistan: Champions Trophy 2025 Must-Win Clash
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and chose to bat first, putting England on the field. England made a single change, bringing in Jamie Overton to replace the injured Brydon Carse, while Afghanistan remained unchanged.
England Playing XI:
Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Afghanistan Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
With Archer’s early breakthroughs, England have firmly put Afghanistan on the back foot. However, with Ibrahim Zadran in sublime form, Afghanistan are looking to post a competitive total.
